North Jersey police investigate streak of burglaries at businesses [video]

Local police agencies are teaming up to investigate a streak of smash-and-grab robberies in North Jersey within the last month.

Burglars smashed the glass on the front doors of two Wyckoff businesses early Friday morning in order to steal cash registers and the cash inside. Then, a similar incident was reported in Midland Park.

“Over the past three weeks there have been about 15 different businesses robbed in 12 municipalities across northern New Jersey, very similar to this,” said Wyckoff Police Chief Benjamin C. Fox.

Authorities have not announced if the incidents are related, but are sharing information as they work to identify suspects.

In Wyckoff, the businesses were Sunrise Bagels on Goffle Road and Godwin Lukoil on Godwin Avenue. The same night, Midland Park police responded to a robbery at Park Deli and Mini-Mart on Godwin Avenue at 3:49 a.m. and found the front door had been smashed, said Sgt. Noah Van Vliet. Because the investigation is on-going, the department cannot release what was stolen, said Detective John Gibbons.

Fox did not name the other 10 towns. He said the 15 robberies have happened “in the middle of the night, when the businesses are closed,” with burglars “breaking the door and stealing the entire cash register.”

The owner of Godwin Lukoil, John Aliko, said he handed over video surveillance of the break-in to the police.

The footage shows a person – wearing blue jeans, white sneakers, black gloves and a black hooded sweatshirt – approach the counter. The person’s face is visible for a half-second until he or she hops over the counter and forcefully rips the register off the counter. The person jumped over the counter again and left the store with the register tucked under an arm. Aliko said the person had entered his business after smashing the inch-thick insulated-glass front door.

“The damage costs more than the money that was stolen,” Aliko said.

There was about $200 in the register, but replacing the Mullion glass door will cost the business $700, he said. The company had temporary glass installed in the door and was still using a temporary cash register on Tuesday.